During the visit, Haakon toured the ship, observing Sailors and Marines at work and how the ship is operated.

“I am very grateful to be able to come aboard and experience how things are done onboard,” said Haakon. “I was very impressed with the personnel I met and their professionalism throughout the entire day. It is great seeing the United States and Norway come together and continue our alliance together as nations.”

Haakon also remarked about how great it is seeing the Unites States and Norway coming together.

During his visit to Iwo Jima, Haakon dined with some of the Sailors.

“Having lunch with the crown prince was the experience of a lifetime,” said Electronics Technician 2nd Class Shawn Collins. “I never thought this would happen while I was in the Navy, but it’s something I’ll never forget. It’s easily one of the best moments of my career.”

Iwo Jima is currently underway participating in Trident Juncture 2018, which is a NATO-led exercise designed to certify NATO response forces and develop interoperability among participating NATO Allied and partner nations.